STAY HUNGRY AND BURN FAT...OR NOT!

Many people who exercise believe that they can speed up fat burning if they exercise while hungry.

The idea is that exercising on an empty stomach forces the body to use fat for fuel instead of the more readily available carbs that one would get from a pre-workout snack or meal.

So is it true? The answer is no.

A review of many studies on this topic, published in Strength and Conditioning Journal, found the body burns approximately the same amount of fat by those who ate a pre-workout snack or meal compared to those who didn’t.

And here’s the kicker…

Muscle loss and decreased exercise intensity were more likely in those who exercised hungry. To top it off, those who didn’t eat before a workout had a lower caloric burn rate.

An interesting side note: A study done in 2002 found that women who had 45 grams of carbs before their workout ate less throughout the rest of the day.